Sevenstring.org - View Single Post - Is an extended scale really worth some extra buck??

Durero · 04-01-2008, 04:43 AM

Rethinking my previous post I realize that it's pretty crazy for me to assume that what I have in mind as a typical bass tone is the same as what everyone else has in mind.

So I'd like to cancel the way I framed it as a disagreement with Matt when his post is just as reasonable as mine. I think what we're calling guitar-like tone and bass-like tone is too subjective and diverse to make definitive generalizations about, but we can still generalize about the effect of scale length on tone.

So to rephrase:

- keeping the same tuning and string gage, a longer scale will increase string tension which will affect the tone and feel, and brighten it to a point.

- keeping the same tuning but using thinner string gages to keep the tension the same at the longer scale will make the tone much more twangy, bright, thin, piano-like etc.

So to address the original question, assuming your using a 7-string tuning with an extra bass string as opposed to a high-A kind of tuning, then in my opinion yes the extra scale length is often well worth it for extra clarity out of your lowest string. However other factors, especially the pickups, my enable you to find the tone you want without an extended scale. And noodles point about considering how the tone fits in with the rest of the band is right on.

04-01-2008, 04:43 AM	#36
Durero prototyping... Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada Posts: 3,740 Real Name: Leo Pedersen Main Seven: Raven 7 - my design Main ERG: Ergo 10, Ergo 9, Stick 8 Rig: 2101LTD>TS100>2x1936 Thanked: 36	Rethinking my previous post I realize that it's pretty crazy for me to assume that what I have in mind as a typical bass tone is the same as what everyone else has in mind. So I'd like to cancel the way I framed it as a disagreement with Matt when his post is just as reasonable as mine. I think what we're calling guitar-like tone and bass-like tone is too subjective and diverse to make definitive generalizations about, but we can still generalize about the effect of scale length on tone. So to rephrase: - keeping the same tuning and string gage, a longer scale will increase string tension which will affect the tone and feel, and brighten it to a point. - keeping the same tuning but using thinner string gages to keep the tension the same at the longer scale will make the tone much more twangy, bright, thin, piano-like etc. So to address the original question, assuming your using a 7-string tuning with an extra bass string as opposed to a high-A kind of tuning, then in my opinion yes the extra scale length is often well worth it for extra clarity out of your lowest string. However other factors, especially the pickups, my enable you to find the tone you want without an extended scale. And noodles point about considering how the tone fits in with the rest of the band is right on.